


a shot of espresso

by izayas



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drug Dealing, Happy Ending, M/M, Romance, Strangers to Lovers, Yakuza, is fluffy angst a thing, later angst/explicit content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-18 15:42:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8167229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/izayas/pseuds/izayas
Summary: "you couldn't be a normal person and just fall in love with kenma in a coffee shop, could you?! you just had to go and be a goddamn drug mule for some yakuza!"kuroo cleared his throat. "...i prefer the term courier."





	1. espresso

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to loveandallthat for betaing, as always ♥
> 
> iwaoi, bokuaka, kagehina are side pairings, mostly minor. later chapters will have some violence and explicit material.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> he trusted his gut because it was yet to fail him and, right now, his gut was saying that there was something about this guy that was special, even if he seemed a bit grumpy.

Kuroo Tetsurou was proud to say that he was the reason Bokuto Koutarou and Akaashi Keiji were dating.

They certainly hadn’t been his first setup; over the years, Kuroo had blessed many couples by introducing them to each other, some working out better than others. It had all started in high school; while his main skill seemed to be provoking people, there were times where he’d get them to spill a secret he hadn’t actively been seeking. The first time it happened, he learned that one of his friends had a crush on another friend of his. That was the first time Kuroo ever set two people up and, he was proud to say, they were now married. Many of his setups worked out happily.

Although, Akaashi likely wasn’t very appreciative at the moment.

Kuroo had lifted his fair share of deadweight through his years, both as a result of being a frequent partygoer in college and now being a bartender. He knew that a person’s weight didn’t actually change (obviously), it was just the rigidity of the body that led an unconscious person to feel so much heavier. The body of a conscious individual offered much more rigidity due to muscles being used; because of that, someone conscious was easier to lift.

Bokuto, even when conscious, could be quite a challenge to carry, so when he was passed out from too many free shots (Kuroo’s fault entirely), getting him back to his apartment with Akaashi was even more tasking. He supposed he should thank Bokuto; because of that, Kuroo had been allowed to leave early. Luckily, Terushima had, apparently, gotten bored at home and came in to pick up a few extra hours.

Kuroo had met both Bokuto and Akaashi in college. Akaashi had been his roommate in his first year (sometimes random pairings worked out) and Bokuto was in one of his general education classes. He got along well with Akaashi because they were both laid back and he got along well with Bokuto because, well, Bokuto’s energy was infectious and also Kuroo needed someone to do stupid things with.

He and Bokuto had been studying the dorm one day when Akaashi came back. Apologizing, Kuroo had started gathering all his things, intending on going to the lounge or library to keep working as to not disturb him. He was halfway out the door when he realized he was alone; turning around, he was met with Bokuto still sitting there, unabashedly _gawking_ at Akaashi.

To his credit, Akaashi did an excellent job of not appearing to notice. Bokuto would later gush about his relief otherwise, surely, Akaashi would think he was weird.

(Akaashi definitely did. It was the first thing Akaashi brought up when Kuroo came back alone later.)

It was love at first sight for Bokuto. He’d started pestering Kuroo immediately about Akaashi, wanted to know who he was and if he was seeing anyone. Even that night, Kuroo’s phone was blowing up and Kuroo, being Kuroo, decided to ignore it and let Bokuto fret. When Kuroo finally answered the next day that, no, Akaashi wasn’t seeing anyone, Bokuto had brightened and started _bouncing_ in his seat in the large lecture hall. By this point, Bokuto had become a good friend; their relationship developed quickly because sometimes people just clicked.

Kuroo had smirked and reassured Bokuto he’d take care of everything. When he got back later that night, he was pleased to see Akaashi already there, working on homework.

_“Akaashi, remember Bokuto? The guy staring?”_

_“Hard to forget,” Akaashi said dryly, eyes still focused on his textbook._

_Kuroo chuckled his agreement. Setting his backpack down, he hoisted himself onto his bed nonchalantly. “He’s going to ask you out.”_

_“All right.” Akaashi didn’t miss a beat._

_Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “You going to say yes?”_

_Akaashi wasn’t nearly the open book Bokuto was, but Kuroo knew him well enough by this point to pick up on the subtleties. He watched Akaashi’s fingers twitch; he was a fast, accurate typer, but Kuroo saw him have to hit backspace a few times after his question. He was grinning even before Akaashi answered._

_“I don’t see why not, if he has the courage to ask.”_

_Kuroo’s grin widened. “Promise me something? As your roommate?”_

_This time Akaashi stopped typing. He sighed slowly and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back. Kuroo didn’t blame him; when he asked that question, it usually entailed an annoying and sometimes ridiculous task. It must be difficult being Kuroo’s roommate. “…What is it now?”_

_“Give him three chances,” Kuroo said and leaned over to reach for his laptop._

_Akaashi frowned and looked over. “…Three’s quite a lot.”_

_“Bokuto’s a great guy, I promise,” Kuroo said and shrugged, glancing at him with a smirk. “But… just make sure you give him at least three chances. I promise, unless he’s really nervous, you won’t regret it.”_

It actually took four chances, but Akaashi didn’t seem to mind. The same way Bokuto had fallen for him upon first sight, one dinner was all it took for Akaashi Keiji to realize he and Bokuto Koutarou might just be soulmates and Kuroo liked to pride himself on being why they got together.

(The four chances entailed Akaashi being spilled on twice, nearly smacked in the face with a door because Bokuto was trying to exuberantly be a gentleman, and something about a golf cart. _“...You took him golfing?” “Mini golfing! That’s romantic, isn’t it?!” “...Apparently not with you…”_ )

“I hate you right now, Kuroo-san.”

“Aw, come on… he’s _your_ boyfriend,” Kuroo teased, looking over. Pausing, he glanced over his shoulder. “Hey, if we let go, you think he’d just fall down the stairs? Or would it be a somersaulting sort of thing?”

“Depends how we let go, I would assume. But no, we are not doing that because, as you pointed out, he’s my boyfriend.”

“But think of how fun it would be! You know, if he were conscious, I bet Bo--”

“ _No_. Keep walking.”

Managing to drag Bokuto all the way up the stairs, Kuroo was tasked with holding him by himself as Akaashi opened the door and he swore he fiddled longer with the lock than necessary. The remaining few yards to his bed seemed impossible; Kuroo’s back was aching awfully after tossing his friend onto the bed. He left him sprawled out and figured Akaashi could adjust the limbs accordingly later. Coming back out, he accepted the offered water gratefully and felt Akaashi glaring at him as he took his first gulp.

“Don’t _ever_ tell Bokuto-san when you’re working.”

Kuroo laughed a bit too early and ended up sputtering, hitting his chest with his fist as he coughed. “Akaashi,” he managed, “I work there almost every night. He’ll just show up.”

“Then stop giving him free drinks.”

“Can’t help it! Being a bartender has its perks, and what good are perks if I don’t share them with two of my closest friends?” Kuroo smiled.

Akaashi glared.

Kuroo stopped smiling.

“…Okay, I’ll cut him off sooner next time.”

Finishing the glass, he left it on the counter and watched Akaashi begin to do the dishes. Their kitchen was neat, at least to Kuroo’s standards. Akaashi, while busy with getting his master’s, would still take the time to clean the apartment when he could. Sometimes Kuroo invited Akaashi over, knowing seeing what a disarray his apartment was in would be enough to irk him into cleaning for him.

“Seeing Mieko-san there was nice,” Akaashi murmured after a few elapsed seconds of silence.

Kuroo nodded casually. “Yeah, glad she’s doing well.”

“You seem to be over that relationship,” Akaashi noted softly, looking up with a small smile as he reached for the next dish. “I’m glad; it really brought you down for a bit.”

Kuroo shrugged. He rolled one of his shoulders and used the other hand to massage it as best he could. “Yeah, well, that’s the nature of dating. The harder you fall, the longer you take to recover. I don’t regret that relationship though,” he added and laughed quietly. “...She made me really happy.”

“Why did you two break up again?”

“Wanted similar things but at different times,” Kuroo answered. “Sometimes the timing just doesn’t work out, which sucks. It was a pretty peaceful break up. I hope she finds someone who makes her happy.”

“You’re a good, honest person sometimes, Kuroo-san,” Akaashi murmured with the same soft look but then looked up with a deadpan expression. “Also saw the unnamed one night stand I had the displeasure of meeting while both of you were undressed.”

Kuroo blinked and cleared his throat, reaching for the sponge. He could feel Akaashi’s eyes boring holes into his skull, the silent apology of him washing his own glass clearly not enough. “…Yeah…”

“Please, Kuroo-san. Lock your door next time.”

“You could’ve knocked,” Kuroo tried.

“I did.”

“…Oh.”

Grinning after another apology, Kuroo watched Akaashi sigh and dry his hands with a towel, turning the faucet off afterwards. He could only imagine how difficult it was to be his friend and Bokuto’s boyfriend; Akaashi Keiji must have some sort of superpower to deal with both of them. Kuroo was pretty self aware; by himself, he could be relatively easy going. But with Bokuto, he liked to think they could create the perfect hurricane.

Which was unfortunate for Akaashi.

Bringing his arms above his head to stretch, Kuroo stole a glance towards the room where Bokuto was. He saw his foot twitch; unable to help a laugh, he shook his head when Akaashi inquired. “Nothing. Just that he’s alive. That’s going to be a hell of a hangover. You have aspirin?”

“Yes. But not for him.”

Kuroo laughed at that. “That’s cold…”

“It’ll teach him to remember his limits.”

Smirking, Kuroo ran a hand through his hair and checked his phone. Pulling a face, he commented about how late it was and looked up with a grin. “Sorry, have some business to attend to.”

“…This late?” Akaashi asked after a pause.

The thing about Akaashi was that he was keen. The bad thing was that Kuroo couldn’t get away with much, but the good thing was that Akaashi was more than respectful of boundaries and privacy. So he’d know something was wrong but not press and trust that Kuroo would talk about it if he wanted to or needed to.

He nodded and grinned. “It’s nothing, I’m just meeting someone.”

“A friend?”

“You could say that.”

“…”

“…You won’t have to see my bare ass again, okay?”

“…Okay.”

Laughing, Kuroo went over to the entranceway and pulled his shoes on. Akaashi followed; crossing his arms, he leaned against the wall and even without looking up, he knew Akaashi was still suspicious. “…Kuroo-san, you—“

“Akaashi,” he interjected, “ _really_ , I promise. Unless you pull back the shower curtain while I’m in there, you won’t have to see me naked. Although, you know,” he grinned, “there are some people who would be pretty jealous.”

Akaashi stared at him silently and Kuroo mumbled an apology after clearing his throat.

“It’s not that,” Akaashi said and hesitated. “…You don’t normally bring people home this often or spend nights out and end up sleeping here because you’re too tired to make it back. Are you all right?”

“I’m in my early twenties, in the prime of my life,” Kuroo said, waving his hand. “I’m enjoying myself.”

“Because the last time—“

“Last time,” he cut in softly, “I was getting over a breakup. My last serious break up was Mieko and that was two years ago; I’m over her, I promise. This… I don’t know, I guess I’m bored.”

Akaashi didn’t say anything and Kuroo managed to look away before:

“You’ll always have Bokuto-san and me. You’ll always have us, whether you like it or not.”

Closing his eyes, Kuroo laughed quietly and shook his head, murmured ‘what a way to let a guy know he’s not alone.’ Finally getting his second shoe on, Kuroo grinned. “Yeah, don’t worry, I know I’ve got you guys. And even if I didn’t, there’s Oikawa, the human leech, and Iwaizumi, the only person who takes less shit than you do. I’m fine, I promise. I’ll see you later, all right?”

And with one more nod and ‘good night,’ Kuroo left.

* * *

Kuroo Tetsurou didn’t know what he delivered. He just knew that he’d receive two texts, one where he’d pick up a package and one where he’d drop it off, then an envelope of cash. Sometimes the package was left in his mailbox or in front of his door, either a box or an envelope. He never opened it, figured the less he knew the better.

In retrospect, this side job may not be the best idea, but Kuroo decided that he was young, the pay was good, and he didn’t have much to lose.

After graduating with a chemistry degree, he decided not to follow the family career of medicine. His parents didn’t seem to mind; after he told him of his plans to take a gap year or two, they didn’t attempt to push him in any direction. His younger sister was following that trajectory and so Kuroo couldn’t help but wonder if that took some of the heat off of him. His parents had never been too strict with him. He’d never failed their expectations, always maintained good grades and partook in volunteering and extracurriculars.

Currently, he was working as a bartender, though this wasn’t what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. That was a big mystery; he was saving up money for an unknown goal. Maybe he’d go back to school. Maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe he’d end up a doctor. Maybe he’d end up a teacher. The world was his oyster and Kuroo didn’t feel like prying it open just yet.

As of right now, he was going with the flow and the flow presented him with a lot of cash, so who was he to turn it down?

After he bid farewell to Akaashi, Kuroo left the apartment complex and made his way over to the address. This one was easy; it was close and the package was a padded envelope, somewhat bulky but easy enough to hide under his jacket. He’d picked it up before work and even with the time delay of Bokuto, he managed to it on time. Driving a bit away on his black sport bike, Kuroo stopped and pulled out his phone to send a confirmation text.  

**To: Unknown**

_done._

By now, he knew he wouldn’t get a response. He’d been doing this for a few years at this point; it was usually relatively sparing, but recently he’d been getting more and more tasks. After the text successfully sent, he secured his phone in his pocket. He turned the key and leaned forward, one hand grasping the handle and the other the clutch. The engine revved and twisting the throttle, he took off, making a sharp turn onto the road. “That’s my girl,” he murmured, glancing down with a smirk. “Never letting me down.”

Kuroo worked six nights a week, hours usually from a bit into the evening to well past midnight. He didn’t mind his job. He actually liked it, unlike most working young adults, but it was exhausting, both physically and emotionally. It left him tired for the one night he did have off. His hours weren’t exactly regular; he wasn’t looking for a typical full time job and his boss was both lenient and appreciative of the business Kuroo brought in with his charm and flirtation.

His life was far different from when he was younger; he’d always been studious, so from middle school to college, he’d always concentrated on his studies, maintaining some of the top grades in the class. But then he graduated and something changed; maybe his past streak of fulfilling every expectation was paying off now, but his parents didn’t try to push him towards any path. They just nodded and said they were sure he was making the best choice for himself. Kuroo was a bit surprised but grateful; his parents had always done everything they could for him and the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint them.

Of course, they didn’t know about his suspicious delivery gig, but Kuroo decided they didn’t need to know everything.

Pulling into the parking lot behind his favorite café, Kuroo sighed dramatically as the engine died down. He ran a hand through his hair after taking the helmet off and stood, swinging his leg over the vehicle and storing his helmet. Taking his phone out again, he unzipped his jacket, finding it to be warmer than expected inside, door chiming cheerfully as it closed behind him. Kuroo was a frequent visitor; he didn’t even need to glance at the menu and just got in line.

Sometimes he was adventurous and tried something new. Other times he was tired and needed something that would never fail to hit the spot.

He was scrolling through social media on his phone while waiting in line when a sudden notification caught his eye. Frowning, he tapped on it and gave a breathy chuckle, murmured ‘well, well’ under his breath. An unfortunate part of his bartending job was making sure nobody had to go with anybody they didn’t want to and while Kuroo entirely didn’t mean for it to happen, he’d end up getting numbers from appreciative patrons.

Kuroo wouldn’t say he was some sort of icon of drinking and partying. It just so happened he’d dip into that lifestyle every now and then and having no plan for his future and trying to ignore an unsettling feeling that ruined his easygoing demeanor seemed like an appropriate time to dip.

**From: Aiko**

_working tonight?_

“How may I help you?”

Blinking, Kuroo locked his phone and looked up with a grin. “Hey. Yeah, just a medium iced coffee.”

“Cream and sugar?”

“Nah.”

“Four hundred yen, please.”

Nodding, Kuroo reached into his pocket but blinked when his fingers met only his hip through the fabric. He blinked. “Uh… shit…”

“…Sir?” the barista asked a bit slowly.

“Hold on,” Kuroo said and began fumbling around in his pockets, “I’ve probably got… enough change…”

Coins clinked as he tossed them carelessly on the counter; maybe he did have enough spare change, Kuroo would be impressed with himself, but the overwhelming possibility was that he hadn’t. He heard a frustrated sigh behind him and, about to turn and apologize, Kuroo was surprised to see a credit card handed over by someone much shorter with duo-toned hair. He never even looked up; Kuroo was staring at his profile and took a step back to allow him to step forward instead. “Medium cappuccino and I’ll pay for him.”

The barista nodded and rang up their order, smiling cheerfully after returning the credit card. At this point, Kuroo expected to be spoken to, even if just a snappy retort. But when the other began to turn, still without so much as glancing at him, Kuroo couldn’t help but be both intrigued and amused.

“Huh.” Kuroo raised an eyebrow before grinning. “Must be getting pretty good if I didn’t even have to ask.”

“You were slowing down the line,” the other answered monotonously. Still not even looking at him, he walked away, leaving Kuroo a bit baffled. But then he grinned and followed him to the other end of the counter.

“Kuroo Tetsurou,” he said, leaning against the wall. “And you are?”

Nothing. He’d busied himself with his phone, hair curtaining around his face.

But Kuroo wasn’t perturbed. He tilted his head and watched him. His eyes were pretty, Kuroo thought first, large and brown, though the bags under them were something he himself was also accustomed to. He had a messenger bag, cover haphazardly thrown on to reveal a laptop poking out. His hair framed his face, the ends brushing against his collarbone and Kuroo found himself fixated on his neck when he tied it up in a low ponytail.

Those same large brown eyes flicked to him. “What?”

Kuroo had good instincts. He always did; he’d had a good feeling about Bokuto and Akaashi, a good feeling about all his serious relationships. He trusted his gut because it was yet to fail him and, right now, his gut was saying that there was something about this guy that was special, even if he seemed a bit grumpy.

“Nothing,” he answered, held his hands up in defense. “Just wanted to chat with the guy who just bought me my coffee. Can I get a name or number to at least pay you back?”

“Don’t worry about it,” he answered.

“But I worry.”

“Then don’t.”

“Can’t just not.”

“Can too.”

“Can not.”

“Can too.”

“Can not.”

“Can too.”

“Can not.”

A deep breath had Kuroo’s grin widening. “Can _too_ —“

“Iced coffee and cappuccino?”

Kuroo had always had quick instincts. A distance that would’ve been several steps for the other ended up being just three for him and he picked up both their drinks, returning with a smirk as he raised an eyebrow. He stared at him before sighing, pinching the bridge of his nose, seeming to realize Kuroo was holding his caffeine hostage. His shoulders sagged in defeat. “…Kenma.”

“Right, then, Kenma,” Kuroo said, decided he liked the way his name felt on his tongue. “Can I sit with you?”

Kenma sighed and reached a hand up to rub his face, their conversation seeming to drain him of the little energy he had left.

Frowning a bit, Kuroo silently handed Kenma his drink and watched him take a seat at a table by the window. He loitered by the straws for a moment and took a few sips, brow furrowing as he replayed the last few minutes in his mind, tried to figure out at what point he’d gone from pleasantly annoying to annoyingly annoying. It happened a bit more often than he’d like; Akaashi had told him that it was innate, that sometimes Kuroo could annoy people without even meaning to.

Almost a minute may have passed before he headed over. “Sorry if I annoyed you,” he said, offering a small, apologetic smile. “I’ve been told I can cross the line sometimes.”

No answer. Kenma kept typing away on his computer, leaving Kuroo wondering if he even heard.

“…Right. Well, have a good night—“

But just as he was about to leave, he heard ‘Kozume’ in an exasperated, tired voice. Again surprised, Kuroo turned to see Kenma’s fingers still from their previous quick typing and he smiled a bit again, decided to take that as an acceptance of his apology. “Ah. Kenma Kozume?”

“Kozume Kenma,” he muttered.

“…You gave me your first name?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, that’s awfully intimate--“

“Stop flirting and you can sit,” Kenma interrupted and Kuroo swore his bags looked even darker when he glanced up. “But if you’re going to keep trying to hit on me, just leave. I have work to do.”

Kuroo laughed but nodded and took a seat across from him. Something about this kid, his gut pressed, was interesting. Something about him made Kuroo want to get to know him more, even with the snappy answers. _Something_ about him piqued Kuroo’s interest and so he produced a book from the inner pocket of his jacket and opened it. “Let me guess, I’m just useful to watch your stuff if you need to get up?”

Kenma huffed and wrinkled his nose.

“I didn’t say you could _talk_.”

Kuroo nodded and held up a hand as an apology. “Right, right. Well, good to meet you, Kenma.”

And as he opened his book, Kuroo couldn’t help but sneak another peak at Kenma, this time seeing him pull his headphones on. He looked focused on whatever it was that had him typing so furiously and, setting his iced coffee down, Kuroo sent one text before losing himself in his book and the sounds of keys clicking.

**To: Aiko**

_sorry babe, have plans_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI I'M DOING A KUROKEN FIC THIS TIME. i wanted to do something light and fun and that ended up meaning the chapters would be shorter than my normal 5 to 10k range... plot gets a little darker and heavier later but, i mean... kuroo's involved with the yakuza and delivering drugs, hahaha, so it should be a given this isn't a 100% fluffy fic
> 
> thank you for reading! comments/kudos appreciated ♥


	2. cappuccino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> next time was next week and kenma was not ready.

Kenma hated slow people who stood between him and caffeine.

At twenty three years old, Kenma had probably gotten the same total amount of sleep in his entire life as a ten year old had. Maybe less, even; he couldn’t quite remember the last time he slept more than three uninterrupted hours. He had never been one to really sleep early or sleep in; he’d go to bed late and rise early, but even so, Kenma was someone who more or less got six hours on average.

He’d been one of the lucky few to get a job right out of college, using his computer science degree as a software developer. He liked the work in that it was something he could focus on and something he was good at, but sometimes they’d have short deadlines for big projects. Kenma used to stay up all night either playing or coding a game, but now it was for work.

In all honesty, he was still playing or coding a game for work most of the time.

The project he was currently working on was one of his more stressful ones; it wasn’t  _ hard _ necessarily, but it did have many details that took forever to get just right. Sometimes Kenma enjoyed the preciseness of coding, but other times he found it mind-numbing. Especially now, when he was running on essentially no sleep, finally stepping out of his apartment if only because his roommate’s concern was annoying him.

Lev meant well, but Kenma didn’t want to be fed. He wanted to be left alone so he could finish working, not have a spoonful of rice shoved down his throat.

He’d left while Lev was banging pots and pans in the kitchen, trying to scrape together enough ingredients in their almost empty pantry to make him a meal. He’d been so engrossed in finding the proper lid that Kenma was able to waltz past him with his bag on his shoulder, hood up and saying nothing. He heard a surprised yelp of his name but ignored it; the ten minute walk to the café did him some good in clearing his mind with the fresh air, but Kenma had never been fond of making his way through Tokyo’s busy streets.

A change of scenery was clearly needed. Kenma had started counting the cracks and lines on his ceiling and walls, even began counting the bricks on the building across from his window when he realized he  _ really _ needed a break. Stepping into the café left him feeling a little paralyzed by how blinding and  _ cheerful _ the environment was; he was the only person in his room and Kenma radiated exhaustion and irritation.

Getting in line, he glanced at the person in front of him only so he wouldn’t walk into them. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out his wallet and sighed, pushing his hair away from his face as he squinted tiredly, looked for the cheapest but most caffeinated drink. By the time he got back to work, it would likely be about twenty minutes since he’d left; a twenty minute break might just be enough for him to fall back into a rhythm he’d been struggling to find since yesterday, when Lev interrupted him with some rice and vegetables.

When the tall guy with terrible hair in front of him started fumbling for four hundred yen, Kenma’s impatience got the better of him and he just paid, figured that was a little price to pay for his caffeine and to get back to work. Twenty minutes was fine. Twenty one wasn’t and one minute was sixty whole seconds. Kenma could count all the way to six in that time and he really didn’t want to, so he’d taken his car out and extended his arm past him. That didn’t bother him; he wasn’t the type of person to randomly buy a stranger coffee, but it was cheap and he didn’t think twice about it. He’d been expecting a ‘thank you’ but even if he hadn’t gotten one, he didn’t think he would’ve been bothered. But what  _ did _ annoy him was that the other kept talking, even after Kenma didn’t answer.

The last time that had happened was with Hinata Shoyo, who was now one of his closest friends. However, Hinata was different. He’d been sitting on a bench in a quiet part of campus, headphones on and textbook out for one of the rare classes where Kenma needed to read and reread to understand the coding process. Hinata had, allegedly, stood there for almost fifteen minutes, trying to get his attention. Kenma didn’t answer due to a combination of his noise cancelling headphones and loud music, but Hinata misinterpreted the silence as him being exceptionally angry at having a bit of Hinata’s lemonade drip onto his hood.

(Kenma hadn’t even noticed.)

He’d noticed a shadow obstructing his view, but Kenma thought it was just some lost first year. Hinata was a first year but, for once, he actually wasn’t lost. He’d finally gotten Kenma’s attention after accidentally smacking him in the forehead while waving his hand in front of his face; Hinata had panicked, thought that would be the final straw, but Kenma just looked up and blinked.  _ “...Do you need something?” _

_ “I-I-I’m sorry!!!!” _

After a long winded explanation mixed in with several apologies and Hinata buying Kenma lunch, they’d become friends. Kenma hadn’t expected him to stick around, thought it surprising he’d even stick around that long just to apologize, but there was something about Hinata’s energy and charisma that made befriending him effortless and natural.

That was Hinata: a cheerful, bumbling idiot. Kenma didn’t mind him. He’d stuck around because of his conscience and wanting to right a wrong that he could’ve easily gotten away with. There was something endearing about that.

But this was different.

Kuroo was just trying to talk for the sake of flirting. Kenma didn’t feel like talking, flirting, or being flirted with. He just wanted his coffee so he could go back to work. Kenma was a simple person. He had simple desires in life.

Also, Kuroo was ridiculously tall. Kenma didn’t see why anyone needed to be that tall.

Kenma had grown up reserved, mostly keeping to himself. Once in a while he’d make a friend or two, but when they changed classes or schools, more often than not he’d lose touch with them. And he didn’t mind too much, though he would find himself feeling self conscious if he was sitting by himself and could hear whispers, automatically always assuming they were about him.

By the time he got to college, that paranoia had somewhat lessened, but having Hinata as a friend had a big part in that. Kenma somewhat befriended Kageyama as well; he and Hinata were dating (had been since high school) so naturally Kageyama would show up every now and then, but Kenma always wondered why he’d seem so stiff and overly respectful with him. He didn’t think twice about it.

Kageyama could be a pretty weird guy.

Pulling his headphones out after sitting, Kenma stole a glance at Kuroo and saw him texting someone. His eyes dropped back to the screen immediately. He immediately pushed it out of his mind; it wasn’t any of his concern who Kuroo was texting, why he was sitting with  _ Kenma _ if he was just going to talk to someone else. But he hadn’t even finished formulating that thought into words when he saw Kuroo pocketing his phone from the corner of his eye. He must’ve not sent more than a few texts, maybe even one. Kenma’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t know why. He didn’t think about it.

The fact that Kuroo was sitting with him was still a bit strange and, if he didn’t have a pressing project, he may have spent more time thinking about it. But before he could zero in and focus entirely on his code, he found himself wondering, almost hypersensitive to every single thing Kuroo did, every observation followed by  _ why? _

Kenma wasn’t sure why Kuroo was even sitting with him or why he’d even kept trying to converse. Kenma had been told that he could come off a bit blunt at times; it was something he never thought about trying to fix, but it was usually enough to ward people off.

Kuroo was not warded off and Kenma didn’t know why.

Kuroo didn’t seem like the type of person who would want to spend a Thursday night with someone like Kenma. Kenma was withdrawn and cranky when busy with work and exhausted; he wasn’t exactly inviting conversation. And, on the other hand, Kuroo was smooth with his words, had a smirk that Kenma just  _ knew _ guys and girls would fall head over heels for. He didn’t know who he had been texting, but wouldn’t be surprised if it was a  _ friend _ (he’d assume girlfriend or boyfriend but, given his flirting and sitting, Kenma decided it was safe to assume Kuroo was single.)

People like Kuroo didn’t generally want to spend time with people like Kenma, but he was too busy to linger on the thought.

He didn’t know how long he spent at the café. He didn’t even know when he stopped paying attention to Kuroo; as annoyingly entrancing that guy could be, Kenma had work and work came first. All Kenma knew was that when he was done with his work, he felt dazed as he pulled his headphones off and rubbed his eyes, trying to remember how to focus them properly. And when he looked up, he was surprised to see Kuroo still there, having gotten through the majority of his book which he seemed to have magically procured. Kenma’s nose wrinkled. “…Oh.”

Kuroo looked up and laughed. Kenma didn’t like the way his stomach leapt at the sound, the gentle way one corner of his lips twitched higher than the other, how he tilted his head. “Yeah, sorry, I’m still here. Got you a refill, by the way.”

Kenma looked down and realized that his once almost empty mug was about half full and this likely wasn’t the first time, considering how quickly he drank. He’d take a quick, big gulp in the moments he wasn’t typing, the moments where he had to pause and rethink. Staring at the mug, his brow furrowed. “…You have no money,” he stated flatly.

“Friends with the barista who came in a bit ago,” Kuroo answered casually and Kenma craned his neck to see a pretty girl chatting with a coworker behind the bar. He turned back to Kuroo and stared. “ _ Friend _ ,” Kuroo repeated. “We met in college. Just friend.”

Kenma’s eyes dropped. “I didn’t ask.”

“You stared.”

“That’s not asking.”

“It is if you’re a cat.”

Kenma couldn’t even fathom a response, just stared at Kuroo again. He smirked. Kuroo smirked and Kenma’s nose wrinkled. Shaking his head, he closed his laptop and finished the last of his cappuccino. “Thanks,” he said shortly. Kuroo grinned. Kenma blinked and stood. “Bye.”

“Whoa—wait,” Kuroo said, standing right when Kenma did. Continuing to ignore him, Kenma dropped his gaze as he began to collect his things and put them back in his messenger bag. The lack of eye contact didn’t seem to perturb Kuroo in the slightest. “So after an enthralling first date—“

“This wasn’t a date.”

“How about you let me take you out on one?” Kuroo asked. Kenma didn’t mean to look up, he just glanced in that direction, right in time to see the way Kuroo dangled a crooked smirk from his lips.

It was probably the only thing that could look better on him than a leather jacket.

Kenma was extremely annoyed by that.

Heaving a sigh, Kenma checked his phone. It was almost midnight, meaning he could be in bed two hours earlier than he had been for the last week and that thought by itself was much too enticing. Kuroo was certainly good looking and seemed like a decent guy, a bit confusing to say the least. But the idea of  _ sleep _ was almost overwhelming; Kenma didn’t realize just how much his body ached until he stood. He rolled a shoulder and used the other and press along the side of his neck with a slight wince. “No.”

“Can I ask why?”

Kenma looked him square in the eye. “I don’t want to.”

Kuroo stared for a moment before he laughed, held his hands up with a nod. Kenma wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed that he didn’t keep pressing; grateful was most likely the closest emotion, but as he put his laptop away, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment. “All right, all right, that’s fair,” he heard. “But, hey, if I see you again, am I allowed a second chance?”

Kenma really didn’t understand this entity whose name was Kuroo Tetsurou.

Certainly, he was good looking. He was charming and he was a smooth talker; he proved to be very quiet if needed and maybe he was actually good luck, given that Kenma finished all his necessary work. But the thing was that Kenma was very tired after a very,  _ very _ tiring week and all he wanted to do was go home, not give someone his number and have his phone flashing all night. Maybe it was a timing thing; after all, he’d sat with this guy for a good part of the night and gotten more work done that he’d expected. Maybe he was good luck. Maybe he was a good influence.

All Kenma knew was that maybe if it hadn’t been tonight, he might just have taken him up on his date.

But he was  _ exhausted _ and just standing almost made him want to keel over, curl up on the bench and fall asleep.

“…Fine,” Kenma mumbled finally, raising a hand to rub his face tiredly. “If we see each other again… yeah. Try again.”

Kuroo grinned and nodded. He brought his book up, bookmarked with his index finger, and tapped it lightly against his temple as some sort of a salute.

Kenma was exhausted. Standing there was almost too much for him to handle and he had half a mind to text Lev, ask him to come here to carry him home (but he wasn’t  _ that _ desperate yet.) He couldn’t tell if he was swaying or if the room was spinning, but all he did know was that while his eyes had seemed to have lost their ability to focus, he could see the slight wrinkles in Kuroo’s clothes quite clearly, the way his dark hair stood out against his fair skin, how his eyes crinkled with his grin. And then his voice had Kenma sighing, though only about ninety percent from exasperation, ten percent (which, for Kenma, was a lot) something else.

“Then, Kenma, until next time.”

* * *

Next time was next week and Kenma was not ready.

The past week was considerably better; they made their deadline with a few hours to spare and Kenma had declined the celebratory dinner in favor of going home and sleeping. Lev had been on his way out when Kenma came back; he’d been surprised and asked how his day was, proceeding to panic when Kenma just fell face down on the couch and immediately began to sleep. He groggily woke up a few hours later to the doorbell ringing. When he went to answer the door, Kenma was surprised to see his coworkers holding a bag, grinning.  _ “You were instrumental in finishing that, Kozume! Brought you some food!” _

He definitely hadn’t expected it and almost felt bad about declining dinner but thanked them, even smiled a little despite how grumpy he felt. Untying the loose knot, he didn’t realize how hungry he was until the smell of yakisoba had his stomach growling. He brought it over to his couch, ate it while watching a rerun on television before promptly going back to sleep.

Kenma wasn’t someone who even slept that much. When growing up, he’d suffice on fewer hours of sleep than everyone else, opting instead to play videogames. A few people would joke that maybe that was why he was short and he’d just stare at them until they stuttered an apology, mumble he wasn’t even that short.

But that last week, he slept more than he had in months. He’d go to bed and wake up on a different day, something that was incredible in itself. He relaxed, ordered in (because cooking took far too much effort) and played games for  _ fun _ instead of avid testing. Work was like that: busy as hell and then ridiculously relaxing. He didn’t even have to step foot in the office; his phone would blow up with messages from the group chat with his team and Kenma eventually acquiesced and joined them for a night out.

It wasn’t that they were bad people; they were nice and always tried to include him. But Kenma had never really felt that  _ click _ with them that he did with Hinata; he could get along with them, but it was just tiring to be out with them for too long and too often. He needed to be by himself to recharge; it didn’t mean he didn’t like them and, luckily for both parties, he didn’t think they took it that way. There had been times in the past where people would assume him to be standoffish, which had been hurtful on some level.

But, still, a week of more sleep than he’d had in months still wasn’t enough to prepare him for Kuroo Tetsurou.

_ Again. _

The strange thing was that talking to him wasn’t exhausting, not even last week when he’d been so fatigued. Talking to Kuroo had a certain effortless feel to it, even if most of what Kenma said had been him shutting him down.

He gave a very big sigh.

“…Oh.”

“Well, that’s not what you want to hear,” Kuroo said with a laugh, keeping his hands in his pockets and Kenma felt a little on the spot when he realized Kuroo was looking him over, fidgeting a bit. “No bag today, huh… just grab and go?”

Kenma stared at him. “…Are you going to ask if I’m going to sit with you?”

“Yeah,” he answered coolly but shrugged with a small smile. “But not if you don’t want to. Your choice.”

Bringing a hand up to run his hand through his hair, pushing his bangs away, Kenma’s eyes dropped to his phone. He stared at the time; it was only four and he’d woken up seven hours ago, meaning he had at least five more hours before he could even think about falling asleep. Those five hours were relatively empty; he had nothing planned and was beginning to get tired of reruns. Lev was out, but talking to him was really only if Kenma wanted to get tired to sleep earlier. Giving a sigh, he let his hand fall, allowing his hair to curtain his face as he nodded. “All right.”

Kuroo grinned. “Save us that booth by the window, would you?”

He wasn’t sure if Kuroo saw him give his nod before turning away, but Kenma headed over to the window and chose the booth at the end, claimed the seat with the back against the wall. Pulling his phone out again, he’d read through almost three pages of a forum for the game he was currently playing when he realized he hadn’t ordered. Looking up with a start, he was about to stand when he saw two drinks placed in front of him, one black iced coffee and a latte with a cat drawn in it. Kuroo said nothing, just took the seat across from him.

Kenma leaned forward a bit and silently observed at the art on the foam before looking up at Kuroo. “…How’d you know?” he asked finally.

Kuroo shrugged. “Took a wild guess and got a caramel latte. You looked tired last time so I figured the cappuccino but you don’t strike me as the type to like really bitter tasting coffee.”

Kenma had stopped listening halfway through because he was too enthralled with the cat, smiling before he realized it. He only caught himself right before looking up, but it was too late; Kuroo was smirking at him, one eyebrow arched before he took another sip of his drink, annoyingly maintaining the curve of his lips as he did so. “So I was right in guessing that you like cats too, right?”

“Shut up,” he mumbled but it was half hearted. He lifted his mug and took a sip, instantly relaxing at the sweet flavor and warmth spreading throughout his body. Relaxing into the back of the couch, he turned to stare out the window while cradling the latte in his hands for warmth; despite it being summer, the air conditioning seemed to be on full blast.

Kenma never realized it until Hinata told him, but he had a tendency to space out, sometimes even in the middle of conversations. He’d forget he was talking to someone and be lost in staring at something, focus on that or get lost in his own thoughts. Hinata had gotten used to it; he was one of the few who had never been bothered or offended, but he did have to repeat himself because he’d realize only after getting through the majority of his story. Kageyama helped a bit; he’d stop him and tell him he needed to get Kenma’s attention back, but sometimes he’d also be spacing out and Hinata would be talking to himself for a good five minutes.

In this case, Kenma snapped out of his daze at a loud honk but looked across the table to see Kuroo also staring out the window, a nice change from meeting an annoyed expression coupled with ‘were you listening?’

He stared at him for a bit longer before looking down at his drink. “How did you know I’d be here?”

“I didn’t.”

“…” Kenma looked back up tiredly.

“Seriously, I didn’t,” Kuroo insisted at his expression. “Total coincidence. I mean, I have been hanging around coffee shops more often as of late, but this was just one I happened to be passing by on the way home. You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. Really.”

Kenma’s lips pursed. Kuroo seemed to take note; his eyes narrowed and he set down his drink. Kenma could see him hesitate, the slight intake of breath and subtle change from almost arrogant confidence to unsure. “Did I… say something?” he ventured.

“Answer me something truthfully.”

Kuroo nodded. “All right.”

“…Why do you keep trying to talk to me?”

Kenma immediately took a sip after his question, hoping the excuse to not expand would help the sudden embarrassment that prickled his skin. The cat was half gone by now; it made him a bit sad when he realized it, wished he’d taken a picture of it before hand. He swallowed nervously, tongue hopefully licking away any remaining foam on his upper lip as he set his mug back down and waited for Kuroo’s answer.

He wasn’t normally this bold; he was blunt, but blunt and bold were two different things entirely. The question had been on his mind constantly and now sitting here with him was enough to give Kenma the surge of courage to ask. Kuroo didn’t say anything at first. Kenma couldn’t bring himself to look up, but he could feel him watching, probably smiling in amusement. From the corner of his eye, he caught site of Kuroo tracing his finger around the edge of his glass, finally shrugging before answering.

“You bought me coffee,” he said with a small laugh, “and, I don’t know, I always go with my gut on these kinds of things. You seem interesting, so I wanted to talk to you. That okay?”

The fact that Kuroo continued to be so considerate still baffled Kenma. He was used to people generally overlooking him, which he was fine with, or trying to talk but giving up because of his short responses or entire lack thereof. But Kuroo kept trying without being pushy, seeming to understand that space Kenma needed. The last time anyone had been like this was Hinata, so it left Kenma a bit confused because Kuroo Tetsurou was a stranger who was in front of Kenma in line when he was particularly cranky, so he didn’t get why this was happening.

Being cranky with strangers didn’t usually lead to this, but strangers in general didn’t usually make Kenma feel this way.

Kenma pressed his lips into a thin line. “…You’re weird.”

Kuroo smirked. “I’ll be anything you want me to.”

He seemed to hop the line of flirting and being considerate rather easily, leading Kenma to constantly be sighing but also appreciative.

They lapsed into a silence. But unlike the first one, Kenma was very much focused on the fact that he was sitting with Kuroo. “Oh,” Kenma straightened a bit, glad for something to say. “How much was—“

“My treat,” Kuroo said easily, waving his hand. “Or, rather, me paying you back for last time.”

“…Oh. Okay. …Thanks.”

He almost felt a bit bad about snapping the other night at Kuroo, though it didn’t seem to deter him in the slightest. He didn’t get this person named Kuroo Tetsurou at all; he was strange, wasn't put off the way most people were when talking to Kenma (for reasons that Kenma felt were perfectly reasonable.) But Kuroo wasn’t oblivious; he seemed sharper than most people Kenma had met and noticed slight things others wouldn’t. The cats thing and latte may have been luck, but both would be coincidental.

Unless Kenma was just that predictable. That was also an option.

Reaching into his pocket after a moment, he pulled out his business card. He flipped it over and reached into his other for a pen (a habit because he’d jot things down on his hand to keep from forgetting) and scrawled down his phone number, heaving another sigh and sliding it across the table. Kuroo raised an eyebrow but smirked, examined it before pulling his phone out. “Ah. And here I was, ready with a bunch of really crappy pick up lines.”

“Please don’t.”

Kenma saw one last smirk before he watched his phone vibrate, buzzing a bit away from him on the table. He flipped it over to see a text from an unknown number, the message making him stare up at Kuroo. “…Seriously?”

**From: Unknown**

_ dinner and a mewvie? _

“You didn’t answer.”

Sucking his cheeks in for a moment, Kenma closed his eyes as he exhaled. The last time he’d been on a date was so long ago he couldn’t even remember; he’d been asked out a few times but had always declined, either just that short exchange tiring him out or he knew what they wanted wasn’t really the date.

But, again, something about Kuroo was different.

He looked up and smiled tiredly, saw Kuroo grinning even before he murmured ‘fine.’

He huffed quietly and wrinkled his nose, looking away. “…I don’t get you.”

Kuroo laughed, this time the sound coaxing a ghost of a smile from Kenma.

“That’s okay. As long as I get you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aren't they cute. they're so cute. i love them.
> 
> (they're going to hurt later on. i warn this now that the tags will all make sense eventually.)
> 
> thank you for reading! kudos/comments appreciated immensely ♥


	3. latte

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kenma didn’t like to exaggerate, but at that moment, kuroo tetsurou made his knees feel like jelly.

**From: Unknown**

_Tonight._

**To: Unknown**

_cant, busy_

**From: Unknown**

_Do it._

**To: Unknown**

_ill do it before midnight. that okay?_

**From: Unknown**

_Fine._

Kuroo frowned as his eyes lingered on the curt responses. He grumbled incoherently under his breath and tossed it aside; turning his attention back to the mirror, he experimentally moved one strand of hair and watched it resume its original position. His expression soured again when he saw his phone in the reflection. Taking a step back, he clicked his tongue as he walked over to the dresser. “What the hell even are you…?” he mumbled, picking up the small box and shaking it.

Nothing happened, so Kuroo hadn’t accidentally detonated anything. That was always a good sign, but it led him to reconsider doing things before thinking them through. That was a general, common sense sort of rule to live by, but Kuroo wasn’t always one to abide by the rules. It crossed his mind that he was (likely) doing something illegal, but the risks had yet to outweigh the rewards and if there was ever a time to do something stupid, it would be during the prime of his life.

(Akaashi would tell him he could just _not_ do the stupid thing.)

Kuroo was generally good with timeliness; some jobs were shorter notice than others, but, for the most part, he had little difficulty getting it done. So because of that, he figured he’d earned himself some leeway. When he got the text just a few hours before his date with Kenma, he’d tried to postpone it but was shut down immediately.

He ended up deciding that if he had time to do it, he would. If not, then it was just unfortunate for them.

(Akaashi would tell him he was being really stupid, first for doing this, and now adopting this attitude.)

Bokuto had stopped by a few nights ago and Kuroo opted to spend his break with him. Because of a dinner with Akaashi the next morning, Kuroo started off the conversation with a strict prohibition on drinking and handed him a virgin piña colada instead, laughed when Bokuto brightened and informed him he had the taste buds of a child.

_“You know, kids might know where it’s at! This shit’s good!”_

_“Yeah, yeah. Don’t break that, all right? You don’t have to pay for the drink but you’ll have to pay for the glass.”_

_Nodding, Bokuto grinned as he took another sip. Kuroo laughed and sat back in the booth, crossing an ankle over his knee as he checked his phone. He and Kenma had been texting actually more than he expected; given that he didn’t talk much in person, Kuroo wondered if he only agreed to the date out of politeness. But after sending a few links to funny cat images, Kenma responded with videos and he felt he could safely say he was texting Kenma just about as often as he’d text Bokuto._

_Truly remarkable._

_Kuroo, despite what he’d been told and how often he was approached, didn’t ask people out frequently. He’d talk to them; being a friendly person, he was almost always up for a conversation. But asking someone out and hinting at a possible attraction was something he’d only do if he really was interested. He didn’t want to unintentionally lead someone on only to hurt them._

_Hooking up was a different matter altogether. He figured people who he murmured ‘wanna get out of here?’ in the ears of knew what he had in mind and it didn’t really include dinner and getting to know them._

_“You want to dance?”_

_Looking up when addressed, Kuroo was met with a pretty girl offering a smile. He just laughed and murmured ‘sorry, sore feet tonight’ and she just shrugged, smiled before walking away. Bokuto whistled and wagged his eyebrows. “What’s up? She was cute. Seemed like your type and you like confidence, don’t you?”_

_“Of course I do,” Kuroo said with a shrug. “I’ve got a date in a few days though. Maybe it’s time to stop going home with random people.”_

_“Aw…” Bokuto put a hand over his heart and sighed dramatically. “My boy’s growing up!”_

_“Shut up.”_

_Bokuto laughed again and Kuroo could see the contents of his glass decreasing with his next sip. “But seriously, that date,” Bokuto said after, “You’re serious about this guy, huh?”_

_“Yeah,” Kuroo said with a small laugh. “I mean, honestly, I haven’t been feeling that great. I don’t know what I’m doing with my life, I keep getting drunk and waking up with hangovers next to people whose names I barely even remember, and this guy…”_

_He paused and shrugged, looking away for a moment. Bokuto didn’t say anything; he seemed to know Kuroo wasn’t finished and waited patiently. Despite what some people thought, Bokuto Koutarou wasn’t a brash, bumbling, clueless idiot. He was a good friend, loyal as hell, and much more perceptive than most people gave him credit for._

_“I don’t know,” Kuroo continued finally. “He makes me feel better about myself. I barely know him, but… it’s just something about him. He’s got that calming quality to him. Just… whenever I’m with him, I want to be a better person.”_

_Bokuto frowned; it was rare for him to be without some kind of teasing in his expression. He was uncharacteristically serious as he set his drink down and leaned forward, leaning on his elbows. “Kuroo, you’re not a bad person for hooking up with people. I mean, you can do what you want.”_

_“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Kuroo said with a sigh. “Just… I mean, the last time I was really anything close to this was after I broke up with Mieko. I’d rather wake up with someone I love than a stranger, but…”_

_“Kuroo, you’re my best friend. Okay? You know that, right?”_

_“Yeah, we almost got matching tattoos one night before Akaashi hauled our drunk asses back to bed.”_

_“We’re still doing that, right?!”_

_“Let’s discuss that later.”_

_He pulled a face. “But anyway,” he cleared his throat and Kuroo laughed, “I just want you to be happy. So if this guy makes you happy then, yeah, go for him. But don’t get hurt again, okay?”_

_Kuroo smirked, shrugging. He glanced down at his phone and laughed softly under his breath._

_“I don’t know, I get the feeling he’d never intentionally do that.”_

So maybe Kuroo was a hopeless romantic, but he saw nothing wrong with that.

Officially giving up on his hair after one last glimpse in the mirror, Kuroo grabbed the package with an annoyed grumble and slipped it in one of the interior pockets of his jacket, cursing quietly under his breath. Checking his phone just to make sure Kenma hadn’t backed out at the last moment, he smirked when he saw Kenma’s ‘ _obviously’_ to his previous ‘ _you’re not going to stand me up, right?’_

He could hear the way Kenma would huff and see the way his nose would wrinkle.

Grabbing his keys, he entirely forgot about his preoccupation with his hair’s lack of neatness and ran a hand through it.

“…Cute.”

* * *

_“You have a date?? Really?? N-no, I mean, it’s just rare that you accept, not that no one would ask—ow, Kageyama!! Don’t hit me!”_

One corner of his lips twitched upwards, but Kenma’s mouth was set back to its natural state soon thereafter. Despite holding the phone away from his ear, Kenma’s eyes narrowed and his nose scrunched a bit at Hinata’s loud yelp. Kageyama’s voice was a bit more distant but also loud and distinguishable; Kenma ignored them casually and wordlessly stepped over his roommate’s stupidly long and spindly legs—Haiba Lev’s limbs were unreal and a _nuisance_ —to get to his room. Their bickering droned on and on and he left it on his desk as he went to rifle through a pile of clothes on his floor with no success. “Yeah, it’s just some guy I met at a coffee shop,” he said when he brought the phone back to his face.

_“Coffee shop?! It’s like a romance novel!! Is he nice? Do you like him?”_

_“Dumbass, of course he likes him! Otherwise he wouldn’t be going on a date with him!”_

_“Stop calling me that!!!”_

Nose scrunching again when their argument was getting too loud, Kenma set his phone down for the second time and reached into his closet, annoyed that he was actually wondering about what to wear. He eventually settled for a black hoodie, oversized and comfortable, and jeans; it was a plain outfit but it was just dinner and a movie, so Kenma didn’t find any particular reason to have to dress up.

Kuroo had asked if they could meet at a specific address and while Kenma didn’t recognize it as a restaurant, he figured they would walk over. He didn’t know much about Kuroo, but the idea of him liking to take a bit of a stroll before dinner seemed to fit him. It was laid back and casual, easygoing and soothing. Annoying, too. It really did fit.

He lifted his phone to his ear to see if Hinata and Kageyama were still arguing (they were) so he waited for an pause and interjected, explaining that he had to go. Hinata was startled but bade him farewell and a good luck, forced Kageyama to do the same before Kenma was finally able to hang up with a small chuckle.

After making sure he had his keys and wallet, Kenma headed over to the door. “Going out,” he called and ignored Lev’s startled inquiries as he let the door slam shut behind him. Being familiar with the metro station, getting to the location was almost autopilot for him. Kenma was used to taking the trains everywhere, finding it relaxing to just sit and zone out. It was how he got around the city because traffic was a nightmare and walking usually took too long, but usually tranquil journey just had his heart beating faster with every stop.

He hated it.

By the time he got off, Kenma was actually rooted to the spot before someone bumped into him, reminding him to move.

He hadn’t been on very many dates but, even so, this one had him more nervous than he could anticipate. He didn’t have a crush on Kuroo, he told himself. He _didn’t_. Kenma didn’t get crushes on people that easily, but he would say that, on some level, he was interested in Kuroo. Interested in how he was so perceptive, how he could relax people, how he seemed both so charismatic but in control of it. He seemed like the type of person who could get along with anyone and what differentiated him from all the other charismatic beings in the world was that he didn’t drain Kenma.

It was a little bit unnerving.

Even texting him was easy. Kenma hadn’t expected to text him that often, but after an initial exchange of cat related items, they seemed to be able to talk easily about anything. Conversations usually died off or Kenma was left with an annoying feeling of obligation to answer, but texting Kuroo was effortless and natural. They moved from topic to topic seamlessly; at first it had been Kuroo who would domineer the conversations, but then Kenma was the one to bring things up and ask questions. Kuroo answered in a way that let Kenma know he was actually interested in what he was saying and thought about it.

In all honesty, it irked Kenma a little that he got along so well so quickly with him, but that wasn’t Kuroo’s fault. And yet, Kenma was irked.

Looking up, he wasn’t surprised to see Kuroo already there, leaning against the wall and on his phone. Kuroo had continuously proved to be different from how he may have imagined; with a pretty face like that, Kenma would’ve expected him to be shallow and flirtatious. To be fair, he _was_ flirtatious, yet it was still in a more sassy and teasing way, unlike some of the more crass comments Kenma would be an unfortunate victim to before a deadpan stare would generally scare the speaker off.

Kenma didn’t realize he was hiding behind a tree until the bark brushed against the cheek. He jumped a little and took a step away as casually as he could, not caring if anyone else saw but hoping Kuroo didn’t.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and approached him, clearing his throat to get his attention. The way Kuroo’s entire face lit up with a grin upon seeing him had Kenma almost wanting to shrink away; people didn’t look at him like that, he thought. He wasn’t someone who could make someone’s expression change like that. He never had been.

Kuroo’s gaze lingered on him and Kenma suddenly felt very on the spot. Even though Kuroo was also in casual clothes, Kenma suddenly felt self conscious about what he was wearing. “So you didn’t stand me up,” Kuroo said.

“Of course I didn’t,” he mumbled, looking around and raising a hand to scratch his cheek. “…What, you want to eat at a fountain?”

“Have a bit more faith in me than that, Kenma,” Kuroo drawled, his smirk causing Kenma’s chest to seize. Again, irked. It apparently showed because Kuroo suddenly looked concerned, asking, “What’s wrong?”

The way Kuroo tilted his head, the way his voice grew quieter, the way genuine concern was so clear across his face left Kenma’s stomach feeling like it was going to flip.

“…You’re annoying,” was all he could manage.

Kuroo blinked and Kenma was relieved to see him smirk, glad he hadn’t misinterpreted it.

He didn’t know where they were going, but Kenma followed him, appreciating that Kuroo seemed to deliberately walk slowly enough to not force Kenma to a pace he wasn’t used to. When they reached a busier area, Kenma vaguely wondered about getting separated, but he felt Kuroo’s hand gently take his arm and coax him in front. His touch was light and brief, but when Kenma felt him pull back, he immediately reached to take his hand. No words were exchanged. Kenma was careful to not let his fingers twitch too much against Kuroo’s and dropping it the moment they had space was just about one of the hardest things he’d had to do that day.

He refused to look at Kuroo for about a block.

The silence was nice; talking while walking down busy streets was always a little stressful in that it required Kenma to feel like he was yelling, so he was glad Kuroo didn’t try to start a conversation. The first time he said anything was ‘wait here’ before disappearing somewhere, leaving Kenma standing at a corner. He frowned but pulled his phone out and leaned against the wall, not even halfway through checking his email when Kuroo was back.

Given they were going to get dinner, Kenma wondered how he forgot he was hungry. But when he smelled a delicious aroma, he swore his stomach’s growl almost shook his entire body. He looked over to see Kuroo holding out two hand held apple pies, crusts baked to a perfect gold and small slits giving a glimpse to the apple and cinnamon mix inside.

Kenma didn’t like to exaggerate, but at that moment, Kuroo Tetsurou made his knees feel like jelly.

“I figured you liked apple pies,” Kuroo said, laughing when Kenma put out a hand. He handed him one of the pies and grinned as he watched him take a bite. “You brought them up twice.”

“Do you keep tallies of the things I say?” Kenma asked, eyes flicking towards him.

Kuroo smirked.

“Nah, I just happen to pick up on important things sometimes.”

Again with the perception that Kenma still didn’t know how he felt about. He wasn't used to being focused on; he was used to being passed over or, if anything, forgotten about eventually. He didn’t blame them because he was definitely more of the type to blend in with the background.

But here was effervescent Kuroo Tetsurou, someone who undoubtedly controlled and commanded attention with ease. And, of all people, he was spending his night with Kenma after texting him all day, never once even hinting that he was getting annoyed, leading Kenma to think that he was genuinely interested in talking to him.

It was perplexing.

It was confusing.

And yet, it made him happy.

Kenma was, as always, the first to break eye contact because something about Kuroo’s keen gaze left him feeling incredibly vulnerable. “So we’re having apple pies for dinner?” he asked, craning his neck to see a huge line extending from a stand with a sign of what he was eating. The flavor was delicious; it was still warm and he had no idea how Kuroo had been so quick, but his stomach was grateful for it. He didn’t realize he was walking that close to Kuroo until their arms brushed and, after a moment’s thought, he decided not to pull away.

“And whatever else we see on the street,” Kuroo answered and Kenma cracked a smile at that. “You said you weren’t into those super fancy restaurants and I didn’t want to take you to somewhere predictable, so we’re just going to scavenge a bit.”

Kuroo tilted his head. “That okay with you?”

Kenma nodded and smiled slightly, murmuring ‘this is really good’ before another bite. The scorching feeling on his tongue lessened the cooler the filling became, yet it was still delicious and Kenma was surprisingly full when he was finished, tossing the napkin out in a nearby trash can and waited as Kuroo did the same. Blinking when he saw someone with several bags coming through, he reached up instinctively and tugged at Kuroo’s shirt to coax him closer. He did so and, for a moment, Kenma found himself pressed flush against him, inhaling a cologne that almost left his knees weak for the second time that evening.

“Sorry about that,” Kuroo’s low voice murmured and stepped back before Kenma would’ve preferred. “Damn, that’s a lot of bags…”

Kenma hummed. “Nice to see him contribute to our economy.”

“A true hero.”

When Kenma caught his eye, the way Kuroo looked at him had his own widening and a blush threatening the back of his neck.

Their movie ended up being a walk in the park; Kenma didn’t really mind because both of them decided nothing airing seemed worth paying for. He liked the park at night; it was quiet and had an almost eerie feeling to it, especially off the path. There was a moment where he actually forgot Kuroo was there and headed to one of his favorite spots and sat down. It was only when Kuroo sat next to him that he remembered he was on a date and was surprised that there was no argument or observation; he just sat down nonchalantly and looked up at the stars with him, leaning back on his palms.

Kenma observed silently for several moments before posing his question.

_“You always go stargazing on dates?”_

_“Only with the ones who randomly sit down in the grass.”_

At one point, he had realized Kuroo was staring at him. Kenma was a bit perturbed at the way Kuroo was looking at him, at the way he was just leaning back on his elbows but looking at him. A little nervous at the way he had that lilt of a smirk dancing on his lips and at his half lidded sharp eyes picking up on every movement, leaving Kenma feeling even more exposed when he reached up and tucked a few strands of hair behind his ear.

 _“Hey,”_ he had heard Kuroo’s voice, deep and baritone. _“Has anyone ever told you you’re beautiful?”_

Kenma flinched.

_“…No. Not really.”_

Kuroo laughed quietly.

_“Guess everyone you’ve met so far has been completely blind then.”_

Kenma wasn’t sure if he was surprised or not that Kuroo walked him home. Kuroo had mentioned that he’d biked there and when he stepped on the train, Kenma was very acutely aware there was no motorcycle with them. Kuroo just laughed and shook his head. _“I can go back. It won’t ride off on its own.”_

He’d expected to be back by eight, maybe nine, but when he saw it was already a bit past eleven, he was surprised. Normally being out for almost a quarter of the day would be exhausting but, somehow, the time flew by and he was even a bit reluctant when they reached his door. He looked up. “Thanks.”

Kuroo grinned. “So, do I deserve a second date?”

At that, Kenma’s expression relaxed, laughing quietly as he nodded. “I don’t see why not. You’re not all that bad,” he said, surprising himself with how easily he agreed. The few second dates he’d been on had usually taken him a few days to agree to or propose, but with Kuroo, he barely had time to even _think_ about whether or not he wanted it.

He definitely did.

“What high praise,” Kuroo murmured, eyes softening. Kenma was so entranced by the color of his eyes that he almost didn’t hear ‘can I kiss you?’ But when it registered, his body felt both hot and cold at the same time, so numb that he almost didn’t realize he nodded until Kuroo started leaning in. His breath caught in his throat, but Kenma was quick to regulate his breathing before ceasing entirely, closing his eyes and trying to stay calm.

But while he’d expected a pressure to his lips, he felt Kuroo’s mouth to the corner of them instead, implying more than a kiss on the cheek but also not as straightforward as what he had been thinking. His confusion must’ve shown on his face when Kuroo pulled back because he just smirked. “A gentleman waits until the third date,” he explained, “was that the rule?”

Kenma didn’t know, but he hated it a little, regardless.

Kuroo smirked and turned, glanced over his shoulder. “Night, Kenma. Don’t stay up..”

And then he disappeared around the corner, left Kenma so breathless and stunned that he was rooted to the spot, staring at where he’d been just a moment earlier. Regaining control of himself, Kenma opened the door to his apartment and saw Lev still sprawled out in the same position. He frowned and closed the door behind him.

“Have you moved in the last six hours?”

Lev looked up in shock. “You’re back!”

“Yeah.”

“Where did you go?!”

“Out. I came back.”

“I was worried!”

“Right, so worried you didn’t move for six hours. Get off my sweater.”

* * *

“Shit, shit, shit, fuck, shit--!!”

Veering so sharply his elbow nearly brushed against the ground, Kuroo glanced down to check the time again. He’d lost track of the evening and had had a bit too much faith in himself; the last thing he wanted to do was give Kenma the impression that he didn’t want to be there, and now it was ten minutes to midnight and at least a fifteen minute drive. After walking him home, he’d had to go back to where he parked his bike, that in itself taking a bit of time.

He didn’t regret spending time with Kenma; Kuroo even forgot about the package until after dropping him off, when turning the corner caused his body to move in a way that brushed against the slight bulge in his jacket. Checking what time it was had been the last thing on his mind; it didn’t matter to him if ten minutes had passed or four hours, he liked spending time with Kenma. That much was obvious and that was simple.

And then this.

Kuroo had no idea what he was delivering, for whom and to whom, but he had always had this sense that people who could pay this well for something so simple weren’t the type to be messed with.

“Come on, baby, come on, go faster… god fucking damnit, I do make shit decisions sometimes…”

Maybe taking these assignments were a bad idea after all. Kuroo had at one point mixed in with some people from the wrong crowd; he had never been in too deep, luckily, but a few months after he considered himself cut free, he got a text from that same unknown number he still texted today, asking if he wanted to earn some money just delivering packages. The conditions had been to ask no questions and since that had been the beginning of Kuroo’s slight existential crisis, he accepted, figured the money (and thrill) would be good.

Kuroo sometimes thought only in the short term.

The light ahead was red but seeing no other cars and, more importantly, no police, he sped right through it, mumbling an apology. He glanced down again and saw he had five minutes left until midnight. His heart began racing erratically and he changed speeds, felt his heart leap at the acceleration.

The date had gone far better than he expected. He knew he liked Kenma, but Kuroo was still unsure if Kenma would reciprocate those feelings beyond friendship, which he also would’ve been fine with. But given how the night had played out, he felt a bit better, relieved even. Their conversations up until tonight had been fine, but Kuroo was careful. He didn’t want to come on too strong and unnerve him, but also wanted to make sure Kenma knew he was interested. There were no games involved. He liked Kenma. He really did and he was going to be straightforward about it.

Kuroo introduced all potential partners to Bokuto and Akaashi when he was considering being serious with them. It wasn’t so much a test for the person he was interested in as it was just Kuroo hoping that the important people in his life would get along. He also usually kept this introductory meeting for later because, well, Bokuto could be very, very full of life. Kuroo worried about if Kenma would feel overwhelmed with him, but at least there was Akaashi.

He thought that Kenma would get along with them. That was what was most important.

Maybe he was getting ahead of himself.

He couldn’t pinpoint it, but there was something about Kenma that drew Kuroo to him. Something about him had a soothing effect; _something_ about Kenma left Kuroo feeling more whole than he had in a while. The early twenties were frequently said to be some of the hardest years in life; Kuroo was fine with where he was, but had this pervasive feeling of incompleteness, of being hollow. It was like he was missing something and it wasn’t even necessarily because he wasn’t with anyone.

It was that he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life, it was that everyone else seemed to know what they were doing. And while Kuroo was good at pushing the worry out of his mind and feeling that if he was patient it would pay off, he was beginning to lose patience.

But then Kenma paid for his coffee and Kuroo no longer had to actively push the worry from his mind.

“Fucking… damnit, baby, get me there and I’ll treat you to something nice tomorrow, all right?”

Kuroo’s bike was old and if he really wanted, he could probably afford a new one. But this one had sentimental value and with how well he took care of it, it had lasted him for years and probably many more to come. He just couldn’t remember the last time he’d been on this tight a time crunch and pushed it too hard, prayed the engine wouldn’t choose now to give out.

Hitting the throttle and bowing a bit further, Kuroo’s narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the time again. He bit another swear before pulling into the empty lot. Jumping off the bike and sprinting to the location, Kuroo reached into his jacket to pull out the package and toss it into the dumpster. He checked his phone to see that it was 11:59 and almost burst out laughing, stumbling away and back onto his bike.

He never lingered at the drop off site; he never knew who he was going to see and would rather not risk it, so he rode away. There were a few times where he’d have to interact with someone to either pick up or drop off, but those were exceedingly rare and generally not in sketchy areas like this. Sometimes it was in a bar, other times in an alley. Clearly, they weren’t clean situations, but Kuroo felt safe enough, knew he could defend himself should something go wrong.

But again, those were generally tiny packages. Kuroo never confirmed what he was delivering and sometimes made educated guesses, but with nothing ever solidified, there was that everlasting air of mystery.

His heart was already beginning to slow back to normal and despite the still empty streets, Kuroo drove extra well in an attempt to make up for his reckless behavior earlier. Thinking of Kenma was the one thing that kept his heart rate from fully slowing and when he felt his phone go off, his heart lurched and he pulled over to the side, checking it and hoping it was Kenma.

It wasn’t, but the message still had him chuckling as he lifted the visor of his helmet and shook his head.

“Yeah… I deserve a coffee after this.”

**From: Unknown**

_Don’t cut it that close next time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been three chapters and i'm starting to run out of types of drinks, hahaha... apologies for the slower updating schedule; started working full time so almost everything besides that and studying has been put on the backburner. 
> 
> thank you for reading! kudos/comments appreciated ღ


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